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In recent times there has been a renewed interest in relationships between redistribution, growth and welfare. Land reforms have been central to strategies to improve the asset base of the poor in developing countries thought their effectiveness has been hindered by political constraints on implementation. In this paper we use panel data on the sixteen main Indian states from 1958 to 1992 to consider whether the large volume of land reforms as have been legislated have had an appreciable impact on growth and poverty. The evidence presented suggests that land reforms do appear to be associated with poverty reduction.

Paper

Land Reform, Poverty Reduction, and Growth: Evidence from India, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 115(2), pp 389-430, May 2000.

Data

Land Reform (Documentation, Stata Dataset)

Poverty and Inequality (Documentation, Stata Dataset)

Public Finance (Documentation, Stata Dataset)

The determinants of government responsiveness to its citizens are a key issue in political economy. Here, we develop a model based on the solution of political agency problems. Having a more informed and politically active electorate strengthens incentives for governments to be responsive. This suggests that there is a role for both democratic institutions and mass media in ensuring that the preferences of citizens are reflected in policy. The ideas behind the model are tested on panel data from India. We show that state governments are more responsive to falls in food production and crop flood damage via public food distribution and calamity relief expenditure where newspaper circulation is higher and electoral accountability greater.

Paper

The Political Economy of Government Responsiveness: Theory and Evidence from India, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 117(4), pp.1415-1451, November 2002.

Data

Media (Documentation, Stata Dataset)

Calamity (Documentation, Stata Dataset)

Politics (Documentation, Stata Dataset)

This paper investigates whether the industrial relations climate in Indian states has affected the pattern of manufacturing growth in the period 1958-1992. We show that states which amended the Industrial Disputes Act in a pro-worker direction experienced lowered output, employment, investment, and productivity in registered or formal manufacturing. In contrast, output in unregistered or informal manufacturing increased. Regulating in a pro-worker direction was also associated with increases in urban poverty. This suggests that attempts to redress the balance of power between capital and labor can end up hurting the poor.

Papers

Can Labor Regulation Hinder Economic Performance? Evidence from India, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 119(1), pp.91-134, February 2004.

Data Appendix for "Can Labor Regulation Hinder Economic Performance? Evidence from India"

Data

Industry (Documentation, Stata Dataset)

SocioEconomic Data (Documentation, Stata Dataset)